BORESHA has undertaken several interventions in the targeted areas. One of the key interventions is the awareness creation among the community members on Livestock Insurance and creation of linkages with insurance service providers. Although at the start of the awareness creation exercises, Livestock Insurance, was an entirely new and a foreign concept in most of the targeted areas, a total of 289 (129M: 160F) livestock holders insured their livestock voluntarily for the first time in the first BORESHA IBLI sales window (Jan – Feb 2019). Interestingly, majority of those who insured livestock were women. In the second BORESHA IBLI sales window (August – September 2019), a total of 527 livestock holders insured their livestock. So far, the number of livestock holders who have insured their livestock in the two sales windows are 816 and the total asset (livestock) under protection is 7426.
Girisa is one of the BORESHA target areas where the community members were introduced to the livestock insurance. Girisa falls within Agro-pastoral livelihood zone and has previously experienced devastating shocks such droughts, floods and conflicts. In Girisa the DRR committee was introduced to livestock insurance during the COVACA exercise and they identified livestock Insurance as a key DRR intervention during their DRR action planning which was facilitated by BORESHA through World Vision.
Takaful the insurance service provider has notified the livestock owners who insured their livestock during Jan – Feb sales window about indemnity pay-out in September. As a result, some of beneficiaries have borrowed money equivalent to the amount, they are anticipating being given by the insurance service provider. Money borrowed as soft loans from better off relatives has been used to purchase fodder and get veterinary services to sustain their livestock during this period of scarcity and hardship. One of such beneficiaries is Mama Nima Hassan Bilal of Girisa location.
As the monitoring team approaches her hut, the simmering afternoon heat burns the nature around Girissa the environment is relaxed with children playing across the thorny hedge. Women make mats under the acacia tree nearby and sheep bleat coming back from long day browsing. As women rekindles fire and smoke spirals from above the traditional hut signalling the start of cooking the evening ‘casha’ or meal. The mother is breadwinner (household head) for her family and is raising nine (9) children, who are all orphans. She signals us to get in.
After pleasantries, we asked her about the support she got through BORESHA, her face lit up with a big grin and could not hide her joy as she retorted, “BORESHA was a Godsend. We feel empowered because we have been taught a very simple way of protecting ourselves and minimising the effects of droughts. We used to rely on relief aid and handouts from NGOs and the government, which was not only inadequate but distributed unfairly. Dry seasons used to be the seasons when the well-connected people would get richer as they could easily access relief aid and sell them in the markets and other parts of the country. The weaker community members like myself, would only get something after Sheikhs and religious leaders’ intervention. Things are very different now! We have just been informed that we will get pay-out and it will be totally hassle-free. Yes, that is the confirmation we have been given because we have not yet received (pay-out), and it is based on that confirmation that we have been able to borrow money to sustain our livestock. I have 9 orphaned children and the goats are the only asset I have. I bought insurance policy at a cost of (premium) Ksh2150 (EUR 19) for the 15 shoats and will get a pay-out of about Ksh 10,000 (EUR 88).”
When asked about how she will use the money, Mama Nima answered, “I have used a fraction of the money to buy fodder for my goats. I have stored the fodder in the village fodder store, and I give it to my goats in portions. I don’t spend money on water because with the fodder, the goats are able to walk to river Dauwa which I am told comes from Ethiopian highlands. I have also bought some food stuff for my children using the money. This was not possible in the last drought just about 2 years ago. I still have some money left and I will think of what to do with it, may be buy some drugs for the goats if they get sick.”
Mr. Issack Hassan Omar, the chairman of the DRR committee who, together with his committee members, played a vital role in the awareness creation on the insurance cover voluntarily as a DRR intervention. He noted, “This is the best thing that has ever happened to us. We are slowly becoming less dependent on external aid and we are beginning to appreciate that if well informed, the community can handle their challenges with the little resources they have. This is what the DRR committee has been trained by World Vision to inculcate in the community. You have seen, the poorest among us is at least, able to protect some of their livestock and livestock means everything to us”.
When asked what should be done to enhance uptake of the IBLI concept? The chairman notes, “We still have to continue with awareness creation. The lack of understanding of the concept is the biggest barrier to acceptance of the concept so awareness creation activities must continue as well as facilitation of interactions between the insurance service provider and the community members. Another important factor that can contribute to acceptance of the concept is timely release of the payout. The community is a “seeing-is-believing” kind of community. When it was said that there will be payout, many community members bought insurance policy during the current window. It is important to have payout made when it matters”.